Jinliu Village, Anyang County, Yu State.
August. The scorching sun beat down, baking the earth.
Shen Yuan, wearing a straw hat, a linen jacket, and rolled-up trousers, walked towards the threshing ground along the village path.
Behind him followed two naked children, one big and one small.
"Daddy's lying! There's not a single cloud in the sky, how can it rain?"
Seven or eight-year-old Shen Wenxing, carrying a wooden box, shielded his forehead with his dirty little hands, tilting his head to look at the cloudless sky and muttering. (
This book was first published on Taiwan Novel Network, t͎͎͎k͎͎a͎͎n͎͎.c͎͎o͎͎m͎͎, providing a convenient and error-free reading experience.)
Meanwhile, a little boy of only three or four years old was in the distance, holding his small hose, aiming at an ant nest and watering it wantonly, his giggles echoing in the distance.
Shen Yuan stopped and looked at the mischievous little guy with a helpless smile.
"Anu, stop making trouble!"
"Be careful tonight, ants will crawl into your bed and bite your butt!"
The cascading water suddenly stopped, and the little guy looked back, took two steps back in fear, then sprayed water in a circle at the big tree next to him, then shook his body with satisfaction and ran after him.
"Daddy, is it really going to rain today?"
Shen Yuan took off his straw hat and put it on the little guy's head, nodding. "It will rain, so we have to hurry up and harvest the rice before it gets washed away by the heavy rain."
A breeze blew, and the straw hat was too big, so the little guy quickly pressed it down with his hand. He then excitedly looked at Shen Wenxing beside him and said, "Big brother, when the rain stops, take Anu to the pond to catch frogs!"
Shen Wenxing glanced at Shen Yuan with evasive eyes and quickly shook his head. "No, Mom won't let us play in the water. If she finds out, my bottom will be beaten black and blue!"
Anu pressed down on his straw hat with one hand and pulled Shen Wenxing's hand with the other, whispering, "Then let's sneak off..."
Before he finished speaking, a slap landed on his little bottom. "You brat, do you think your dad doesn't exist?"
"Stop dawdling and hurry up and harvest the rice."
The little guy didn't cry after being slapped and ran towards the threshing ground with his bare bottom exposed.
Seeing this, Shen Yuan couldn't help but smile, his thoughts drifting into a daze.
Sometimes he felt like he was dreaming, a very real and very long dream.
In his previous life, after graduating from university, he entered a large factory. To settle down in Hangzhou, he worked tirelessly, often working overtime. At the age of thirty, with the help of his parents, he finally emptied his family's savings to make a down payment on a house.
Tragically, before the house was ready for handover, he died from overwork and unexpectedly ended up here, becoming a not-so-ordinary commoner.
The reason he was not ordinary was that, compared to other commoners in the village, the Shen family was considered wealthy.
His great-grandfather had joined the army and beheaded three barbarian warriors, earning him a noble title.
The Great Yu Dynasty adopted a military merit-based nobility system similar to the Qin Dynasty in his previous life.
Killing three enemies on the battlefield earned one a noble title, two mansions, two qing of fertile land (1 qing = 100 mu), and forty mu of mountain land.
The title was inherited, with each generation downgrading its rank.
Now, in Shen Yuan's generation, the Shen family's title had been stripped away, but fortunately, they still retained sixty mu of fertile land and ten mu of mountain land.
Two hundred li west of Jinliu Village was a massive mountain range stretching for thousands of li, called Yinlong Mountain.
Hidden Dragon Mountain acts as a natural barrier, keeping the Western Wilderness barbarians at bay.
However, even with this formidable barrier, small groups of barbarians still manage to cross the mountain and plunder and kill within the Great Yu territory.
Therefore, a few years ago, the Emperor of Yu ordered the establishment of patrol camps along Hidden Dragon Mountain. Since then, barbarian raids on surrounding villages and towns have been rare.
His wife, Hu Yufen, was originally a wealthy young lady. Eight years ago, she was rescued by barbarians and ended up in Jinliu Village. The two fell in love and married.
In the years following their marriage, Hu Yufen gave birth to two sons.
The elder, Shen Wenxing, nicknamed Shitou, is seven years old.
The younger, Shen Wenyan, nicknamed Anu, will be four years old after the first birthday celebration.
With a wife and children, and tending sixty acres of fertile land and ten acres of forest, Shen Yuan felt that living a peaceful life like this was quite good.
However, half a month ago, while fishing in the river with the villagers, he unexpectedly found a mysterious tortoise shell that resembled white jade. This inexplicably activated the daily divination system bound to his family.
Every day, just after midnight, the system would randomly refresh with a new divination.
[Today's Divination - Neutral]: Rain will occur at the first quarter of the Shen hour, with sufficient rain at the beginning of the You hour, yielding 2 feet 3 inches and 41 jin of water.
The divination was clearly displayed in his mind.
Sometimes Shen Yuan thought that with this system, he could easily play the role of a charlatan, obtaining large sums of money simply by talking.
Unfortunately, for the past two weeks, the divination system had given him no discernible pattern in its predictions, and to specifically predict a particular event would require expending his lifespan.
In his previous life, he had risked his life for money, ultimately losing both; he wasn't willing to do something so foolish this time.
After the initial excitement, life continued in its uneventful course.
The system had brought him quite a few small surprises in the past two weeks.
For example, a few days ago, the divination indicated a litter of wild boars in his family's forest. Shen Yuan immediately followed the instructions, setting traps in the forest and catching seven piglets and one adult boar, making a small fortune.
Today, the sky was clear and blue; no one could predict a heavy rain in two hours.
His family's newly harvested grain was drying in the large threshing ground. If they waited for the rain to fall before rushing to harvest it, not only would the grain be washed away, but the rain-soaked grain would also mold and sprout, resulting in a significant loss.
"Master, the millet has just been turned."
An aged voice interrupted Shen Yuan's thoughts. A hunched, shirtless, thin old man saw Shen Yuan and hurriedly came forward to speak.
The old man was named Fu Gui, a day laborer he had hired.
Fu Gui was an ordinary commoner from the neighboring village. Years ago, his only son went hunting in the mountains and accidentally fell. To raise money for his son's medical treatment, he sold all of his family's land.
Now, although his son's life was saved, he was disabled. Without land, Fu Gui could only make a living by working as a day laborer.
"Uncle Fu, bring everything here. Let's harvest this millet as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Fu Gui looked at the sky with some surprise.
"Master, the sun is high in the sky. It's the perfect time to harvest. Harvest it now..."
Shen Yuan bent down, scooped up a handful of millet, examined it, and smiled, "It's about time. Hurry up and harvest it."
Although Fu Gui was puzzled, he didn't dare to delay since his master had spoken. He immediately fetched winnowing baskets, brooms, and other tools and began to work.
The two little ones beside him each picked up a wooden pusher and helped push the millet together little by little from the outside in.
Shen Wenxing was already seven years old, and although it was a bit difficult for him, he still gritted his teeth and persevered.
Shen Wenyan, on the other hand, was not yet four years old, and his strength was obviously much less.
After the little guy pushed for a couple of steps, the millet piled up in front of the pusher, and he couldn't push it anymore.
"Eek—ya—"
"Ouch—"
His small hands clung to the pusher, and his little feet kicked wildly, but because he lost his balance, the pusher slipped off the millet.
The little guy fell directly to the ground.
"Young master, are you alright?"
Fu Gui saw this and hurriedly ran over to help him up.
"Uncle Fu, don't worry about him, he's just a little rascal, a fall will toughen him up."
Shen Yuan said, and the tears that were welling up in the little guy's eyes slowly disappeared. He got up, brushed off the grains of millet and dust stuck to his body, and picked up the pusher again to help.
After several attempts, realizing he could only push the grain two steps, the little guy stood there for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
He stopped trying to push the grain to the center and instead moved it to a different spot every two steps.
Shen Yuan smiled with satisfaction. Fu Gui,
watching from the side, also clicked his tongue in amazement.
"The young master is so clever; the master is truly blessed."
The four of them worked for over an hour, and the grain in the threshing ground was all piled up in the center.
The sky was no longer as clear as before, and strong winds were blowing across the threshing ground, with large swaths of clouds drifting rapidly in from afar.
Shen Yuan and Fu Gui hurriedly gathered a large amount of straw and rice stalks from the side, covered the grain pile, and then used mud to build a dike in the center of the pile to prevent rainwater from seeping in from below.
Before they could finish, the sky had become terribly overcast, and after a few muffled claps of thunder, large raindrops began to patter down!
Braving the raindrops, the two carefully checked to ensure there was no water seepage before hurriedly taking shelter in the shaded area next to the threshing ground.
Fu Gui wiped the rain from his face and looked at Shen Yuan in surprise.
"It's amazing, how did you know it would rain today, sir?"
Shen Yuan smiled without saying a word, but in his heart he was already planning to hire some more day laborers for summer planting once the rain stopped.
The rain poured down.
Shen Yuan glanced at the wooden box beside him and said, "Shitou, bring out the pancakes your mother made for Grandpa Fu."
Shen Wenxing hurriedly ran over, opened the box, and took out two pancakes, a small dish of side dishes, and a bowl of thin porridge, handing them to Fu Gui.
"Grandpa Fu, please eat."
Fu Gui's eyes welled up with tears upon seeing this.
Ever since his land was sold, he had been working as a day laborer.
His previous employers basically didn't treat them like human beings, let alone provide them with food.
"Thank you, employer."
Fu Gui bowed and carefully accepted the food, beginning to eat.
Shen Yuan looked at him and shook his head slightly.
This old man was also a pitiful person.
His wife was kind-hearted, and knowing that Fu Gui only ate one meal at home in the morning and relied on cold water for lunch, she would always make two extra pancakes for him to bring over.
Shen Yuan wanted to dissuade him, but considering that Fu Gui worked very diligently and never slacked off, he didn't say anything more.
After eating and drinking their fill, Fu Gui carefully put away the bowls and plates in a wooden box.
The two chatted idly.
Around dusk, the rain gradually stopped, and the dark clouds in the sky slowly dispersed.
"Summer rain comes and goes quickly."
Looking at the sun peeking out from the clouds, Fu Gui, barefoot, hurriedly went to check the threshing floor.
"Master, there's no water seepage!"
"Once this place dries a bit more, we can take it home and store it."
Shen Yuan nodded.
This year was a bumper harvest; after paying taxes, there should still be a considerable amount of grain left.
Selling some and storing some would make life much easier.
"Shi Tou, go home and have your mother bring the oxcart."
"Yes!" Shen Wenxing responded and ran towards the village.
Not long after, an old ox slowly pulled a cart from the village, carrying a woman in a floral long gown with her hair in a bun.
Despite having two children, Hu Yufen's figure remained unchanged, and her appearance was still very beautiful and pleasing to the eye.
The oxcart arrived, and Hu Yufen stepped down, smiling at Shen Yuan.
"When did you learn this skill of observing celestial phenomena, husband?"
Shen Yuan raised his chin proudly, "Your husband is quite capable." "
You're such a smooth talker..." Hu Yufen rolled her eyes at him, then turned to Fu Gui, saying, "Uncle Fu, thank you so much today."
"Madam, what are you saying?" Fu Gui quickly cupped his hands, "It's all my duty."
"I should thank you for your daily concern, having the master bring us food."
After some pleasantries, he changed the subject, "Master and Madam, please rest. I'll load the grain onto the cart now."
"Let me help you," Shen Yuan said.
The two carefully lifted the straw and stalks from the grain pile, examining the dry grain inside, and then used a winnowing basket to carefully load it onto the cart.
Hu Yufen didn't rest either; she carried a bamboo basket and picked out the grain that had been soaked with rainwater.
The group worked until dusk, finally managing to transport all the millet home.
After washing themselves briefly with well water, Shen Yuan looked at his wife.
"Yu Fen, it's the end of the month. Go get some money and settle Uncle Fu's wages."
Hu Yu Fen responded and went inside.
"Please wait a moment, Madam." Seeing this, Fu Gui quickly bowed and said, "Master, Madam, I have a favor to ask."
"I just want to use this wage to buy the master's millet, you see..."
Buy millet?
"The master's millet has plump grains; it's top-quality millet. I..." Fu Gui was somewhat embarrassed and guilty.
With his discerning eye, he could tell that the millet from Shen Yuan's family, once pounded, was comparable to refined rice.
Rice porridge made from refined rice was far more nutritious than inferior rice.
"Alright, let's calculate it at the market price."
Shen Yuan saw through his little scheme but didn't think much of it.
The reason their millet was of such high quality was entirely due to the ample fertilizer they received.
These fertilizers were made using the composting method he remembered from his previous life, fermenting withered grass, leaves, river mud, and human and animal excrement.
The old man was honest, perceptive, and a good person; it wouldn't hurt to let him take advantage of him a little.
"Thank you, sir!"
Fu
Gui bowed repeatedly upon hearing this.
He had actually planned to buy it at a price 10% higher than the market price.
However, he estimated that the grain from Shen Yuan's family would sell for at least 30% more at the town's grain shops, so he hesitated and was embarrassed to ask.
Unexpectedly, Shen Yuan was generous and willing to give him the market price.
After some calculation, Shen Yuan had Hu Yufen find a cloth bag and put the grain in it for him.
"Uncle Fu, you don't need to come over for the next few days. Come back in a few days to help with the planting, and your wages will remain the same."
Fu Gui was slightly taken aback as he carried the grain.
He had thought that his attempt to take advantage of the situation would displease Shen Yuan, and he would not be employed by him again.
"Alright! Alright!"
"I will come over immediately when it's time to plant!"
"Sir, I'll head back now."
After seeing Fu Gui off, Hu Yufen went to the kitchen and busied herself preparing dinner, while the eldest son, Shen Wenxing, helped with the cooking.
After a simple meal and washing up, the family lay down on the bed.
In this era, there was no television, no cell phones; eating and sleeping were the norm.
Late at night, the two little ones, busy all afternoon, went to sleep early.
The couple lay on the bed, snuggling together.
"Shitou is seven years old this year. What are your plans, husband?"
Hu Yufen shifted her position, resting her head on Shen Yuan's shoulder.
"I saw my sister-in-law in the backyard preparing for her tuition during the day. She said that after autumn, she'll send her son, Daniu, to the teacher in town for his early education."
"When you go to town to sell grain later, should you ask about it?"
Shen Yuan softly hummed in agreement.
Seven years old would have been enough for elementary school in his previous life.
Over the years, the couple had saved some money through hard work, enough to make ends meet.
It was time to find a way out for their children; they couldn't let them be farmers for life.
Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants.
The Great Yu Dynasty also had social classes.
However, within the scholar class, there was another class, the "martial arts."
The Great Yu Dynasty revered martial prowess. A strong foundation laid in childhood could lead to military service and even high rank and titles.
He knew his own son well; compared to his second son, Shen Wenyan, the eldest, Shen Wenxing, was more patient but less intelligent.
Such a person was better suited for martial arts; if he pursued a literary path and somehow managed to enter officialdom, it wouldn't necessarily be a good thing.
"How much silver do you have?"
The saying goes, "The poor study literature, the rich study martial arts." Martial arts training was expensive, and he needed to carefully consider the cost.
"One hundred and sixty taels."
"This season's grain will still sell quite a bit." Hu Yufen managed the household affairs meticulously.
Shen Yuan frowned slightly upon hearing this.
One hundred and sixty taels might not be enough.
He had privately inquired that the town's martial arts school charged twenty taels just for the initial fee, and ten taels for three monthly medicinal meals.
While the medicinal meals weren't mandatory, Shen Yuan felt that since he had chosen this path for him, he should give him the greatest support. If he only trained half-heartedly, it was better not to train at all.
"Let me think about this. It's getting late, let's sleep."
He turned over, his large hands roaming restlessly over Hu Yufen's body.
In the heat of passion, Hu Yufen suddenly rolled over onto him, her voice alluring, "My husband has worked hard all day, let me take over."
After their lovemaking ended, Hu Yufen fell
into a deep sleep. Shen Yuan stared at the system panel in his mind, lost in thought.
The divination system was bound to the entire family.
Currently, the direct bloodline of the Shen family consisted only of him and his two sons, displayed on the system as a [Primary Family].
He didn't know if the system would change if the Shen family's bloodline increased.
Listening to the chirping of summer insects, holding his soft wife, and contemplating the future, time quickly reached midnight.
[The divination has been updated.]
[Today's Divination - Auspicious]: You passed by Blackwater Pool and unexpectedly discovered a hundred-year-old blood toad molting. The molted skin of a hundred-year-old blood toad has extremely high medicinal value; it can be sold for two hundred taels of silver.
Blackwater Pool?
Looking at the divination symbols flashing in his mind, Shen Yuan felt a surge of excitement.
This Blackwater Pool, also known as Black Dragon Pool, was located twenty miles outside Jinliu Village, covering several hundred acres. It was the route from Jinliu Village to Yunshui Town.
Legend had it that a spring at the bottom of the Blackwater Pool connected to a mountain spring within Hidden Dragon Mountain. The pool was said to be filled with hidden currents and whirlpools, haunted by alligators, giant pythons, and even a terrifying black dragon lurking within.
Years ago, during a severe drought in Anyang County, the Laishui River, which flowed through the entire county, dried up, but the water level of the Blackwater Pool showed no sign of decreasing.
Villagers from surrounding towns and villages flocked to the Blackwater Pool to draw water, and many were swallowed by the alligators and giant pythons within.
He didn't know what a Hundred-Year Blood Toad was, but the fact that its shed skin could sell for two hundred taels of silver was truly unexpected.
Two hundred taels of silver was equivalent to ten years of his family's income; it seemed he had to go to the Blackwater Pool tomorrow.
Filled with excitement, he fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Shen Yuan woke up to find Hu Yufen already up beside him.
Through the window, he could see smoke rising from the kitchen chimney.
Shen Yuan dressed, went to the courtyard, drew a basin of well water, brushed his teeth with a willow twig, and went to the kitchen.
Hu Yufen took out steamed pancakes and eggs from the stove and brought them to him, asking, "Aren't you going to sleep a little longer?"
"I'm going out for a bit later."
Taking the pancakes and eggs, Shen Yuan sat down at the table and began to eat.
Hu Yufen ladled out two bowls of porridge, sat down beside him, and asked, "Are you going to town?"
Shen Yuan placed a peeled egg in Hu Yufen's bowl, then picked up another and peeled it: "It rained heavily yesterday. I'm going to the river to see if I can catch some fish to nourish Shi Tou and the others."
In those days, it was a luxury for ordinary people to have enough to eat three meals a day; eating meat was something they couldn't even dream of.
In other words, Jinliu Village is adjacent to the Laishui River, and in the summer, people can catch some fish and shrimp in the river to enjoy a treat and satisfy their craving for meat.
Hu Yufen nodded slightly without saying anything.
The two finished their breakfast in silence.
"When Shitou and the other boy get up, have them cut some grass to feed the pigs. Later, you need to teach them to read so they can't just run around aimlessly every day,"
Shen Yuan said, tidying up the fishing nets in the yard.
Farm children don't have much of a childhood. Even at seven or eight years old, they have to help with chores like cutting grass and gathering firewood.
Before fleeing to Jinliu Village, Hu Yufen was considered a wealthy young lady, well-educated and sensible, so teaching her two brothers to read was no problem.
"Okay, then be careful."
Watching him leave, Hu Yufen busied herself waking the two little ones for breakfast.
The Laishui River is south of Jinliu Village. After leaving Jinliu Village, Shen Yuan headed west.
That was the direction of Blackwater Pool.
He hadn't told Hu Yufen he was going to Blackwater Pool because he didn't want her to worry.
"Brother Yuan!"
"Brother Yuan!"
Walking along the country path, Shen Yuan heard someone shouting behind him and stopped.
A thin young man jogged up to him, noticing the fishing net on his shoulder and asking curiously, "Brother Yuan, are you going fishing?"
Shen Yuan grinned, "Shitou's been craving meat these past few days."
The young man looked in the direction of the net and asked suspiciously, "Brother Yuan, are you planning to go to Blackwater Pool?"
Shen Yuan nodded, "There was a heavy rain just now, the Laishui River's current is too strong. If we don't catch any fish and the net gets washed away, it won't be worth it."
"I'm going to Blackwater Pool to try my luck."
Upon hearing this, the young man's face showed a hint of disappointment.
"I thought you were going to the Laishui River, thinking I'd come along to help you out, and maybe you could share a fish or two with me later." "
I won't go to Blackwater Pool. I heard the alligators there are very fierce lately. In just over ten days, three people from the neighboring Blackstone Village have already perished there."
"You'd better be careful, don't go too deep."
Shen Yuan smiled slightly, "I'll just try my luck on the outskirts. If I don't catch anything, I can buy a couple in town later."
After bidding farewell to the young man, Shen Yuan continued on his way.
About half an hour later, he arrived at the location of Blackwater Pool.
Although Jinliu Village was two hundred miles away from Hidden Dragon Mountain, it was located on a branch of Hidden Dragon Mountain.
Blackwater Pool was situated between two branches of Hidden Dragon Mountain, with exceptionally lush forests. In the sweltering summer, stepping into this place, one could clearly feel a sense of coolness.
If it weren't for the threats posed by crocodiles and giant pythons, it would be a wonderful place to escape the summer heat.
The divination system panel showed the approximate location of the Hundred-Year Blood Toad, but it wasn't very precise.
After circling the bank of the Blackwater Pool a few times, Shen Yuan roughly determined that the Hundred-Year Blood Toad was nearby.
However, the surrounding aquatic plants were lush, and the banks were overgrown with bushes, so he couldn't see any trace of the Hundred-Year Blood Toad for the time being.
After thinking for a moment, he took off the fishing net from his shoulder.
Since he couldn't find any trace of the Hundred-Year Blood Toad for the time being, he might as well cast a net first. Even if he didn't find the Hundred-Year Blood Toad's remains, catching a few fish wouldn't be a loss.
After all, the fish in the Blackwater Pool were famously plump and delicious.
After tidying up the fishing net in his hand, Shen Yuan gripped the net rope with his left hand and swung it sharply with his right hand, casting the large net into the water in a huge circle.
The loud splash of the net hitting the water echoed through the forest.
Suddenly, Shen Yuan caught a glimpse of a red flash in the bushes in the distance!
That was…
Staring at the swaying bushes, Shen Yuan squinted.
Blood Toad, Blood Toad… it should be red, right?
Thinking this, he tied the net rope to a tree and carefully picked up a thick branch, heading towards the bushes.
Shen Yuan's steps were light and cautious.
Many alligators and giant pythons inhabited the Blackwater Pool; encountering any of them would mean certain death here.
Holding his breath and gripping the stick tightly, Shen Yuan quickly reached the bushes.
He cautiously poked at the outer branches with the stick, ready to retreat at any moment.
*Whoosh!*
The branches rustled, but there was no movement inside.
Seeing this, Shen Yuan became slightly bolder and tapped the bushes a few more times with the stick.
*Whoosh—*
The bushes in front of him remained still, but they startled several wild ducks hiding further away, causing them to scatter in panic.
Startled and sweating, Shen Yuan took a deep breath, confirming that there was nothing unusual about the bushes before taking another step closer and using the stick to push the bushes aside.
A glimpse of bright red was faintly visible!
He quickly used a stick to push aside the bushes blocking his way, finally getting a clear look at the object.
It was a toad skin, palm-sized, bright red, and incredibly lifelike.
A blood toad's molt!
Staring at it, Shen Yuan's breathing quickened.
He knew this was most likely the century-old blood toad molt the system had mentioned.
With something worth two hundred taels of silver right before him, Shen Yuan didn't rush in blindly. Instead, he gently shifted his position, trying to lift it with the stick.
Carefully avoiding the surrounding bushes, he pulled the molt from the thicket and quickly held it in his hand.
It felt smooth and soft, without the fishy smell of ordinary toads, instead carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance. Sunlight shone on it, making it translucent.
A fine item!
Just its appearance alone was impressive.
After examining the molt repeatedly, Shen Yuan quickly took a piece of cloth from his satchel and carefully wrapped it up.
With the remains of the century-old blood toad in hand, his purpose for this trip was achieved.
After carefully storing the items, he returned to where he had cast the net, untied the ropes, and slowly pulled the net out of the water.
Splash! Splash
!
Whoosh!
Just as the net was about to be pulled out, several splashes of water rose, and fish could be seen struggling.
Seeing this, a smile appeared on Shen Yuan's face.
"Quite a commotion, a big one."
He quickly steadied himself and sped up, dragging the net ashore.